Murnaghan, Sheelagh (1924–1993)
Murnaghan, Sheelagh (1924–1993)
Irish barrister and politician. Name variations: Sheelagh Mary Murnaghan. Born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1924; died in 1993.
Sheelagh Murnaghan, representing Queen's University in Belfast, was the only Liberal MP ever elected to Northern Ireland's Stormont Parliament. University representation survived in Ulster for 20 years after it was abolished in Britain, which explains how Murnaghan's nonpartisan voice could be heard in the notorious Stormont. For many years, she was the voice of the poor on human rights and civil liberties issues, on women's rights and economic development, and on the rights of the homeless. From 1969 to 1972, Murnaghan served on the first Northern Ireland Community Relations Commission. When Direct Rule was initiated, she served on Whitelaw's Advisory Commission. She later chaired the National Insurance and Industrial Relations Tribunals.